Automatically selective record playing means



Oct. 6, 1959 RDUCKWORTH 2,907,571

AUTOMATICALLY SELECTIVE RECORD PLAYING MEANS Filed oct. 28, 1958 UnitedStates Patent ice m75 Patented oct. c, `1959 2,907,511 AUToMATIcALLYSELECTIVE RECORD PLAYING MEANS Roy Duckworth, Railway, NJ. ApplicationOctober 28,1958, Seal No. 770,10'9i 3 Claims. (Cl. 274--10) inventionrelates to means whereby a special 'or predetermined phonograph recordis played periodically, at selectedtime intervals, on a coin-operatedmachine, regard being had for a'record which is being :played inresponse to the insertion of a coin. i Y' The invention constitutes asimple and inexpensiv line, which switch is opened to break the mainlead when it is time to play the special record, thus temporarilypreventing paid-for records from being played. The

` (condenser AA of the MU, shown at the` extreme left of `attachment formachines which does not interfere -With :the machines usual operation,and preferably functions -With `an accumulator comprising a memory unitscanned `functions to automatically postpone the transmission of thescanning signal from the block while permittingv the blocks movementrelative to the memory unit. i `The special` or predetermined record4which is played periodically `may have any content; it may be,A forexample, a listed record played free, or a commercial or advertisingrecord regarding other records in the machine, or relating to anyservice or product. t v

The invention is `illustrateddn the gureof the drawing, which is aschematic diagram of the memory unit and the accompanying scanningblock, both of which `form part of the coin-controlled` phonographicmachine, together with a diagram of my attachment.

It may be assumed for the purpose of describing the structure andfunction of the attachment in the more involved situation, that one ormore coins have been deposited for the playing, respectively of onerecord, o more than one in succession. 1

As stated, the memory unit MU, and the associated traveling scanningblock SB, which block is secured toV the traveling record selector andplayer, or traveling head, form part of the regular equipment of thecoinop'erated phonographicmachine, hereinafter referred to simply as themachine. While the construction of said unit and block are known, it maybe said, in brief, that the unit usually comprises, as at present usedinthe machines, a front and a back row of condensers, one for eachrecord, which become charged when a coin is deposited for acorresponding record, there being a grounding strip GS between the rows.Each of the mentioned condensers is connected to a wire which leads toselecting buttons, which buttons close circuits to charge thecondensers.

The scanning block SB includes contacts 10, 11 and 12, of which 11 isgrounded and the other two are connected lto a reversing switch RS,`vwhich in turn is vconnected through the main signalling line or lead 15to the detent switch of the machine, and` through which charges on thecondensers are conveyed to the machine to set in motion the mechanismwhich plays a record, it being vunderstood that the block travels backand forth from right to left and reversely `over MU, its contactssliding over the condensers andthe grounding strip ,to successivelypickup charges on the condensers. The line 15 usually goes directlyxto saiddetent switch, but for the purpose of this invention, a switch 5 isplaced in this the back row of condensers, is connected to the machinethrough line 30, so that the special record is periodically played,provision being made for charging this condenser p automatically at theappointed time.

The attachment now to be described as coacting with two componentsconstituting a circuit `fed from a 110` volt.' line. Assuming the TS inoperation, and set to go on and oif alternately at chosen intervals ofsay, one hour, the time switch closes the circuit for one hour and thenopens the circuit and keeps it open for the succeeding hour, and so onrepeatedly. When the circuit closes, a momentary contact switch A, whichis resilient, is pulled `toward the solenoid MR and held to the solenoidfor an hour. During this movement of switch A, it briefly makes contactwith a stationary contactor A1. The switch A is in a line 17 of a 20volt circuit, the other side of the circuit grounded at G. Thereis atake off from line 17 at point 19 as a groundedtwinding for a holdingrelay HR. There is also a take off 20 from line 17 at point 22, whichincludes switch B and runs to spring or resilient switches 1, 2 and 3.These switches are closed simultaneously when solenoid `HR is energized,and are self-opening when the solenoid is deenergized. Switch 1 closeson line 17, so that relay HR remains energized, switch 2 closes onV line25, which goes to a play control relay in the machine to put the machinein operation, and switch 3 closes on line 27. Line 27 includes a switch4 which is normally closed, but which is :opened bya lever, on thetraveling playing head, which` head picks records out of the racks, saidlever acting whenthe picking `action is performed, and'holding switch 4`openV until the record has finished playing. Line 27 continues beyondswitch 4 to form the grounded winding for relay SR. Switch 2 beingclosed, the play control relay in the machine is energized, therebyputting the machine into play, which includes travel of the scanningblock SB back and forth over the memory unit MU, to select a record asindicated by a charged condenser. Current through switch 3 energizes thespecial record relay SR, it being recalled that switch 4 is closed untila record is being picked out of the rack. If no record is playing,switches 5 and 31 will immediately be actuated by SR, the former switchbeing opened and the latter closed.. Switch 5 being open, the scanningblock cannot transmit signals from the condensers to the machine throughthe main lead 15. However, if a paid-for-record is playing, switch 4`hasbeen opened by the playing head, as previously stated, and relay SR willnot actuate switches 5 and 31. But as soon as the record being playedhas been returned to the rack, switch 4 closes, so that switches 5 and31 are actuated, the former being opened so that the main lead 15 to thescanning lead is broken. This causes the scanning block, in itstravelover the memeory unit` MU, to pass over any charged condenserswithout conducting current therefrom.

From a 1.5 volt grounded source, a line 30, which includes a switch 31,runs to condenser AA, at the eXtreme 2 and 3 through line 17. When line17 is open by the the machine and put it into'play.` If no paid-forrecord i-'s playing, current ows throughA switch 3, line 27 andnormallyl closed switch 4, energizing the speciali record relay SR,`opening switch 5 and closing switch 3-1. Ifa paid-for record isrplaying,switch 4 isV open, but is closed by replacement of the recordL intherack after play is finished; Switch-5f bein-g open, themain lead to themachine is open, thus temporarily preventing the machine from' playinganyy further-y paid-for record, so that SB 'moves' left tothe AAposition without pick-ing up any vsignals from the correspondingcondensers.

Switch 31 havingl been closed byl special, record relay SR, a voltageVis `put on condenser AA from the mentioned 1-.5- volt source. When SB-has' trayelled'- to the extreme left, it opens switch- B. With switch Bopen, HR and SR are deenergized, closing switch Sand putting the` mainlead from the scanningv block back into normal operation and allowingitto pick upa signal from AA to play the special-record. Afterthespecial record has been played, SB continues moving to the right,picking up anyselections from the haclrrow'whichare to be played. rEhen,in moving from rightto left, SB picks up any selections in the frontrowfwhichf were oy-passed onn the movement left to-the position. SBtravels right to left and back twice ('2y roundy trips) when the playcontrol is energized What is claimed is:y

l,Y In anV automatic, coin-operated phonographic machine having aitraveling playing head, a memory unit including al series of condensersadapted to` be charged through record: selecting switches, atravelingrecord selector and playingx head; and a scanningblock carried byV said?head1, the block movable over said condensers, anda main line from saidblock connected` to said mapri'singa first circuiti including anautomatic time switch adapted to open and close for selected timeperiods, and

a relay, adaptedtov be energized through the time switch,`

a second circuit including a momentary contact switch adapted tomomentarily close this circuit both when the relay is energized and whenit is deenergized, a holding relay energized momentarily when saidmomentary contact switch is closed, a third circuit, which includes partof said second circuit', for continuing the energizing of thel holdingrelay when` the momentarycontact switch is open, said third circuitincluding` a iirst switch closeable by the holding relay,` and includingalso a second and third switch closeabl'e by the holding relay, saidsecond switch adapted: to, close` ai circuit, leading1 to a play:Vcontrol relay forming part of the machine, a special record relay, afourth circuit incll'lding saidthird switch of the third circuitandadapted to energize the special record relay and including a normallyclosed switch adapted to vchi-'ne ,totransmit a current to mechanismvthereof forl the 40 lp'i'clsing upanda playing of records, anAattachment combe automatically opened by the traveling head when thelatter-reaches? a selected condenser of one of saidseries Vcyf-"condensers, a fifth circuit adapted to. put a potential tonaselected-condenserf of thememory unit and including selectedcondenser of the memoryunit isat, one endy o f the said. seriesof'condensers. v l;

V3; The combination specied in claim 1,. in which said momentaryContactswitch isA resilient andv is nor@ mally.y biassedtto openposition.

References Cited; in thefile of this, patent ,UNITED STATES YPATENTS;

i 2,627,415. Rasmussen 1 K T;. Feb, El, 1953

